Seven multimillion-shilling irrigation schemes are grounded in Malindi and Magarini subcounties as the River Galana has changed its course over the past five years.
The projects cover 6,000 hectares (14, 826 acres), of which 4,942 acres are in Malindi and the rest in Magarini.
Some of the machines have been vandalised and are in a state of disrepair.
The water pumps are also in a state of disrepair.
The crops have failed for lack of water.
Journalists toured the projects on Monday and Tuesday led by Malindi MP Dan Kazungu.
Most of the facilities are broken down, some are rusty while the locks to the pump houses are stuck.
The schemes are overgrown with vegetation.
Kazungu blamed the projects failure to poor design and lack of maintenance.
The irrigation officer in charge of Malindi and Magarini, Alex Mwambire, had a hard time explaining to the MP and farmers how and why the scheme failed.
Mwambire said their research revealed at one point that the river could not be diverted only for it to change course the same year they started the projects.
Kazungu urged the government to use the Sh16 billion allocated to the Irrigation department to revive the projects.
“We understand the government allocated a lot of money for irrigation but the focus is only at the one-million acre Galana-Kulalu irrigation project,” he said.
The leaders present proposed the projects be rehabilitated and floating pumps placed on the river.
Most residents rely on relief food despite the fact that there is a potential to produce food throughout the year with proper irrigation plans.
